A number of hockey fans were staring almost in awe at the nearby HarborCenter project, which is about six months from the first phase being completed.

“Everybody was looking at the building and they were talking about it,” he said.

That brought a smile to Poropat, construction superintendent of M.A. Mortenson Co.’s Sports Group. He is the point man for the $172.2 million project that will dramatically change the Buffalo skyline.

Harborcenter, funded by Sabres owner Terry Pegula, will be anchored by two ice rinks, a 205-room Marriott hotel, the (716) sports bar and restaurant and a five-level, 750-space parking lot.

The Sabres were awarded development rights in August 2012 for the two-acre Webster Block property, located in front of First Niagara Center. Construction began last spring.

The first phase will open in September and includes the parking garage, rinks, Academy of Hockey training area and sports bar. The hotel is expected to open in May.

“Remember, it wasn’t that long ago – maybe 18 months – that HarborCenter was just an idea on a piece of paper. This lot was nothing more than a parking lot,” Poropat said. “It has been a pretty intense period.”

HarborCenter is the largest private sector-driven project in local history.

“Of all the projects I’ve worked on, this definitely has the highest curiosity factor among the public,” he said.

The first phase is more than 50 percent complete. Crews are working double shifts, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday shifts are forthcoming.

About 150 workers are on-site but Poropat expects the number to balloon to more than 250 soon.

“Our contract says we turn over the building, or at least the first phase, to the Sabres on Sept. 30,” Poropat said. “We are certainly on pace to do that.”

HarborCenter is one of several major construction projects under way. They range from the $100 million Conventus building on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to Yahoo Inc.’s $130 million expansion of the Lockport data center. In all, there is more than $1 billion in construction going on regionwide. In the last five years and into the future, there is $8.1 billion in projects completed, under way or expected, according to Business First’s Core Strength research.

“It’s a busy year, to say the least,” said Tom Dee, president of Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp.

Within a few feet of HarborCenter, Erie Canal Harbor Development has $51 million in projects under way. They range from a series of Erie Canal replica canals to reconstruction of Ohio Street. There also are plans for a three-building, 100,000-square-foot project on the southern portion of the former War Memorial Auditorium site at Canalside.

“We’re busy, and I know we are not alone,” Dee said.

At the HarborCenter construction site, Poropat keeps a stapled pack of papers, blueprints and timelines with him at all times. It’s a well-worn checklist to make sure project elements are completed in the correct order and by internal deadlines.

“Construction-wise, this is considered a very quick job,” he said.

With 14 years of experience in the building industry, the graduate of Arizona State University said he has worked on projects ranging from medical centers to buildings for Valparaiso University. HarborCenter has been one of the most closely watched, he said.

A harsh winter and more than 120 inches of snow posed some problems. For example, when winds exceed 30 mph, operators of the dual, 296-foot-tall cranes can’t run their machines.

“You go into every job expecting surprises,” Poropat said. “For this, I guess, it’s been this winter. It is definitely one of the most harshest I’ve ever dealt with. It has been brutal, and this is coming from someone who has spent a lot of time in Chicago.”